Improvement in horse hay-rakes



H. 3.. HAWKINS] HORSE A -RAKE.

vN .187,627. Patented Fb. 20,1877,

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V N-PETERS, PHOTO L TH Unrrnn ra'rns PATENT DFFIGE.

HORACE R. HAWKINS, O F AKRON, OHIO.

IMPROVEMENT m HORSE HAY-RAKES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 187,627, dated February20, 1877; application filed May 31, 1875.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, HORACE R.-HAWKINS, of Akron, in the county of Summitand State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inHorse Hay-Rakes; and

I do hereby declare that the following is a full,

clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, and inwhich- Figure 1 represents a top or plan view of the center part of therake. Fig. 2 represents a vertical section on line A B, Fig. 1. Fig. 3represents a vertical section through the axle and one of the arms, bymeans of which the rake-head is secured to the axle, as will behereafter more fully explained. Fig. 4 represents a top or plan view ofa section of one of the wheels and one end of the axle. Fig. 5represents an inside view of the principal parts shown in Fig. 4, theaxle being shown in section on line C D, Fig. 4. Fig. 6 represents, uponan enlarged scale, a section of the parts shown in Fig. 2; and Fig. 7represents a top or plan view of the parts shown in Fig. 3, but upon areduced scale, Fig. 3 being a section on line E F, Fig. 7.

To enable those skilled in the art to which my invention belongs to makeand use the same, I will proceed to describe it more in detail.

In the drawings the part marked A is the main axle, the front, under,and rear sides' being scored or grooved out to receive the front curvedends of the rake-teeth B, which are arranged at the desired and properdistances apart. After the curved front ends of the rake-teeth B havebeen placed in their respective scores or grooves a, a supporting orguard plate, A, is secured to the under side of axle A, which thusprevents the teeth from dropping out of their scores or grooves. Therear curved ends of the teeth B pass over cross-bars O D, which extendthe whole length of the rake-head and in rear thereof, as indicated inthe drawings. 0 is secured to the under sides of a series of arms, E,while the cross-bar D is suspended by rods b from the rear endsof theshafts F F, shafts F F being secured to axle A by up- The cross-barright pieces -G. Arms E are cut out in circular form on the front undersides, to fit the upper side of axle A,wvhich is turned in circular format the proper places to receive said arms, and which arms are retainedupon the axle A by means of semicircular straps a, which encircle theunder side of the. axle, the ends of said straps being bent outhorizontally, and provided with holes to receive the bolts 1 1, by meansof which said straps are secured to arms E, whereby arms E can be rockedback and forth without being detached from the axle to raise or lowerthe rake-teeth.

A cross-bar, H, is secured to the front upper edges of all the arms E,and is provided with horizontal slots to receive the links 2. Insecuring theparts together, when rake-teeth B are placed in positiontheir front vertical ends (1 are passed through their respective links2, so that when the ends of their respective bowsprings 3 are passedthrough the links 2 upon the opposite side of cross-bar H, as indicatedin Fig. 3, the upper front ends at of the raketeeth are drawn by theforce of springs 3 against the front side of the crossbar H. I is alever. The lower bent end 4 is fastened to the cross-bar. H, and also tothe cross-bar 0, whereby the driver from his seat I can, with his righthand, grasp lever I, and by drawing it forward as indicated in dottedlines, Fig. 2, turn the arm-pieces E and their strap-pieces 0 upon theaxle A, thus elevating the rake teeth B, as indicated in dotted lines,same figure. When the rake is in use, as shown in full lines, Fig. 2,teeth B are locked down by means of the hinged triangular lock-piece eand locking and unlocking lever J, which is pivoted to the front end ofarm K, which, in turn, is fastened to the cross-bars H and O. The rearend J of lever J works in a slot in the lower end of a pendent piece, L,the upper end of which is rigidly secured to the rake-axle A, and it isalso provided with a notch, 5, to catch against one corner of thetriangular piece 6 when the rake-teeth are locked down, as indicated infull lines, Figs. 2 and 6 of the drawings.

When the driver wishes to unlock the raketeeth, he places his foot uponthe head 6 of lever J, and forces it down, thereby raising the rear endof lever J sufficient to allow it to turn over the triangular piece 0,and slide back over it as the teeth are raised. When the driver removeshis foot the raketeeth fall back, and lever J is drawn forward over thetriangular piece e, which is caused to assume the proper position forcatching into notch 5 as soon as that is drawn forward of one of itscorners, as indicated in Fig. 6, thereby locking down the teeth again.

Upon the ends of the axle A are secured socket-pieces M, having circularcogged flanges 7 to receive the circular cogged flanges 8 on the innerfaces of the crank-arms N, from which project the journals N upon whichthe wheels 0 turn. The cogged flanges 7 and 8 are retained in theirlocked position by means of a screw-bolt, 9, which is inserted in eachend of the axle.

It will be seen that by this arrangement of connecting the journals uponwhich the wheels 0 turn with axle A, that the operator can quickly andeasily adjust the teeth B at a greater or less distance from the ground,as occasion may require, while the rake-teeth elevating and lockingmechanism remains the same and unchanged.

If any sudden strain comes upon one or more of the teeth, springs 3yield, and allow the teeth to rise and pass the temporary obstruction,after which the springs react and cause the teeth to assume their formerposition.

When at rest the rake-teeth all have a bearing upon the horizontalrake-tooth supporting cross-bar D.

The driversseat I is supported at each end by a spring, 10, which inturn is secured to the cross-piece P, supported upon the rear ends ofshafts F, which are connected in front of the dri'vers seat by across-piece, Q, above which is arranged a guard-rail, R, while sideboards R R are attached to the under sides of the cross-pieces Q and Pjust inside of the rear ends of the shafts F. Side boards R R not onlystrengthen the rake, but afford a convenient mode or means of enablingthe driver to reach and leave his seat I.

It will be understood that the parts of rakes not particularly describedor shown may be made in any of the well-known modes.

S is the whiffletree, by means of which the rake is drawn. Hay-guards Tproject from the rear part of the axle and between the teeth, saidguards being all united to railD, and these hay-guards T prevent the hayfrom rising up between the teeth too high, and also hold the hay downwhen the teeth are raised to discharge the hay in the windrow.

When the teeth are locked down, as shown in full lines, Figs. 2 and 6,the rear end of lever J, in this instance, is kept in place upon oneface of the triangular piece 6 by a bowspring, 12, arranged upon a pinwhich passes through the slotted end of arm K, and back of the pointwhere said arm is pivoted to 1e-' ver J. One end of the bow-spring 12presses against the rear end of the slot in arm K, while the other endof the spring presses against the rear edge of" lever J, so that whenthe front end of lever J is depressed, and its rear end raised, the endsof the bow-spring are.

brought nearer together, but regain their former positions again as soonas the drivers foot is removed from the end 6. Any other suitable devicemay be employed, however,,for this purpose.

In lieu of the cogs 7 and 8, the face of the part M may be provided witha series of holes to receive one or more projections upon the face ofthe piece N, whose crank, arm, or journal N may be cast hollow; and inlieu of a bolt, 9, a bolt may be employed having a head to hold piece Mon, with an outwardly-projecting part beyond its head to pass throughthe center hole in the part M, which is to be retained in any desiredadjusted position by means of a nut screwed upon said projecting I boltend.

When this last device is employed to adinto another, when the nut can bescrewed up and the parts firmly fixed in their newly adjusted positions.

Having described myimprovementsin horse hay-rakes,-what I claim thereinas new and of my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

. 1. The combination, with the notched locking-lever J, of the hingedtriangular locking piece a, substantially as and for the purposes setforth.

2. The combination, with looking and unlocking lever J, of the footpiece 6, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

3. The combination, with the grooved or scored axle A and arm E, of thestraps 0, slotted cross-piece H; springs 3, links 2, and raketeeth B,arranged to operate in relation to each other, substantially as and forthe purposes set forth.

HORACE R. HAWKINS. Witnesses:

S. O. EDGERTON, W. K. MANIN.

